The Stray got his Star
by Nethiel Nessime
Summary: Oneshot. Abarai Renji has to run not only for his, but most importantly for Kuchiki Rukia's life. Set right after Soukyoku Hill. Could be a little OOC. Hints of RenRuki. Some swearing. OtakuOnlineStop Runner-up for May


Disclaimer: All characters, objects and places mentioned below are owned by Kubo Tite.

AN: After seeing Renji's and Rukia's past in the anime, I got completely hooked to these two. In the manga it's not as clearly visible, but in the anime it's THERE. IchiRuki fans will forgive (I don't really have anything against that pairing), but Ichigo can go hang and find someone else, because these two are just too perfect.

This is a quite altered look on Renji and Rukia's little conversation after he runs away with her from Soukyoku Hill. I tried to keep it as true to the manga and Anime as I could, but I couldn't find the specific chapter/episode, so I just gave up and wrote it all by me onsies

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Run. Don't look back. Don't stop. Don't let go, even if you had to die. RUN.

Renji would never admit it to anyone. He gritted his teeth when he admitted it to _himself._ The truth was he was scared. He was scared right out of his mind that they would catch up, that they'd beat him, that they'd _take her away again. _He'd never been so afraid in his long life. Not even when they had sentenced her to death.

Renji tightened his hold on Rukia even as he sprinted across the streets of Seireitei. He wouldn't let them get near her again. He wished he could just sheathe Zabimaru and hold her with both of his arms, ensure that they wouldn't have a single chance to touch her, make her as safe as possible in movement. But common sense (and Zabimaru himself) ordered to have his zanpakuto at the ready. Running away was foolish, but to run away without a weapon ready would be insanity.

So Renji ran, afraid, but exhilarated to have her near him again, to know she was not going to die…he will make sure she won't.

Rukia … his childhood friend, his anchor … his star. She shone ever so slightly, but with a light that all remembered. Once someone had seen her, they never forgot her.

It had been very hard for him to lose all his friends, one by one, during their years in Rukongai. But Renji knew that if back then she had been one of them, he wouldn't have lasted very long himself. Even when they were kids she attracted him, like a candle attracted a moth. She had that effect on all of them.

He had been so happy for her when the Kuchiki adopted her. He was also terrified, because he knew commoners had no business even looking at the Nobles if they weren't high-ranked Shinigami officers. Renji knew that from that point on he'd be as close to losing Rukia as a friend as he could get without angering her. But he knew now that had been foolish thinking. Rukia remained his Rukia, despite the surname and the title.

When word had spread Kuchiki Rukia had given her powers to a mortal, Renji nearly had a heart-attack, if that was even possible in Soul Society. He knew that act would mean serious consequences for Rukia. When he heard she was sentenced to death, he almost lost his mind. And that utter _bastard _ Kuchiki Byakuya put the cherry on top of the cake by saying he wouldn't do shit about it. _His own sister!_

Renji's thoughts scattered at hearing her voice.

"Renji…" Sad, serious eyes turned up to him, worry written all over her face. This was so unlike her. And at the same time, it was so much like her.

He grinned down at her.

"What's with the graveyard tone, eh Rukia? Yer bein' saved, for goodness' sake!"

Her spirit came back in an instant.

"Well, it's not as if I asked for it, you idiot! I'd already accepted it! _Accepted!_" She hit him lightly. Strange, he thought. No matter if she had her reiatsu was drained to the point of not being able to stand, as was her current situation, or if she had it in full-force, she was always too soft on him when she hit him. Well, yes, all right, it _did_ hurt, sometimes quite a lot, but she never seriously hurt him. The pain never lasted more than a minute (in the worst-case scenario). Renji tightened his hold on her ever so slightly again.

"Yare, yare, one woulda thought you'd be _grateful_ we saved yer skinny arse!"

The worry returned, clouding her features. "But…what if you don't survive it? What if we all don't survive it? Ishida, Orihime, Sado, Ichigo…your lives are not worth saving me! One single scratch on your body wouldn't be worth it! And if it all fails…it would be even more pointless! Renji I…I'm so sorry…" Now she had tears in her eyes. How he hated that. If _Rukia_ of all people was crying, something was seriously wrong. The only times he'd seen her cry was when their friends had died. When they had buried them, she shed silent, agonizing tears. He couldn't stand to see that.

"Che!" He snorted. "Idiot! Don't you go apologizing to me or to any of them! And don't give me that shit that _you're not worth our lives_! Guess what, you're their friend! Judgin' by what that baka Ichigo said, you're quite important for them. And you of all people should know what friendship is worth. And if they, who've known you for two or three months only, will go ape just to save you, then you're crazy if you think you're not worth my life. Baka, if you weren't, I would've left you to die back in Rukongai!"

Rukia looked as if she was about to protest. Again. Renji just shook his head, still grinning.

"Now, ya know you would have died there eventually, if ya'd been alone. If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have lasted three years out there. That's what we were there for, ya know. We were there for each other. And if ya think I'm gonna leave you now, of all times, you really must be bat-shit-crazy. You know I love you and look out for you, no matter what!"

"Renji, I…" When he glanced down at her her, he saw utter shock, and a tint of red on her too-pale face. Only too late did he realize what exactly did he say, but there was really no going back now, and he'd rather face off with Kuchiki-taicho _and_ Zaraki-taicho the take what he said back.

"Renji…thank you." He felt her bury her face in his chest. In response he held her as close to him as he could.

"Idiot. You're not supposed to thank me, either!"

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Okay, please leave a review saying what you think about it. First time writing Bleach, so I want to know if I screwed up.


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